Musahar pupils shine in CBSE examination

Patna: This year's Class X Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination results have validated Shoshit Seva Sangh's model of achieving transformation through education.
The Sangh is an NGO formed with the objective of providing quality education to kids of the 'Musahar' community of Bihar. It runs a school by the name of Shoshit Samadhan Kendra (SSK) in the city.
Of the 15 'Musahar' (the community deriving its name from the practice of eating rats) students of SSK, all being first-generation learners, who appeared for the CBSE examination, eight got more than 90% marks, five over 80%, and the remaining two students scored more than 75%. With more than 50% of its students scoring in excess of 90%, SSK, perhaps, has outperformed not only many government schools but also many private schools in the country. All the students of SSK took the CBSE examination in English medium, said Shoshit Seva Sangh's founder chairman and retired IPS officer J K Sinha.
The 'Musahars' have lived in abysmal poverty for centuries. Their population in Bihar is estimated to be four to five million.
Attempting to turn the tide of history may seem like an impossible task, but the school is dedicated to empowering its students by providing them with quality education. Relying on the reservation system in institutions of higher learning, each of the students at the school is being prepared for higher studies with a view to making a quantum jump in life, leapfrogging from the lowest rungs of the socio-economic ladder to become catalysts of change for their community, Sinha told TOI.
The exceptional CBSE results of the school is a testimony of the dedication of its teachers and staff, the tireless efforts of the trustees of Shoshit Seva Sangh and the support of countless donors and benefactors. Above all, it is the culmination of hard work on the part of the students themselves and a consequence of the faith reposed by their parents in Shoshit Seva Sangh, Sinha told TOI.